Jinnah's portrait there even at Sabarmanti Ashram, why no protest on that, asks AMU VC

Mohammed Ali Jinnah's portraits are there at many places in India, including the Sabarmati Ashram, and the row over it is a "non issue", said Aligarh Muslim University (AMU)'s vice-chancellor Tariq Mansoor on Wednesday (May 9).

The controversy over Jinnah's portrait in AMU erupted after a BJP MP wrote to Aligarh Muslim University last month, demanding to know why a portrait of Pakistan's founder was hanging on the wall of varsity's students' union office. The portrait of Jinnah has been hanging on a wall in the students union's office at AMU for decades.

"Jinnah's portrait has been here since 1938. Jinnah's portrait is at many places including Bombay HC and Sabarmati Ashram. No one was worried about the portraits until now, I think it is a non-issue," Professor Mansoor told ANI.

Last week, former vice president Hamid Ansari termed the on-going controversy on Muhammad Ali Jinnah's portrait as a 'nonsense issue'. Ansari made this remark while he visited the Aligarh Muslim University to attend a university event.

The controversy over Jinnah took a violent turn on May 2 after Hindu Yuva Vahini supporters staged a protest at the varsity campus. The police reportedly had to lob tear gas shells to disperse the agitators. AMU students had protested against the violence by right wing groups.

"Students agitation had no relation to Jinnah portrait row, they were protesting against people who came to AMU to disturb peace on May 2. Spoken to chief secretary for a judicial inquiry into the incident," Mansoor said.

Yesterday (May 8), Bareilly's Aala Hazrat Dargah has issued a fatwa against Jinnah, saying "no one should stand in support of him".